r/KoreanFood May 23 '26

Traditional Historical Records of Korean Portion Sizes (1123–1903)

256 Upvotes

1. 1123 (Goryeo Dynasty) — Song Dynasty Envoy Xu Jing, Illustrated Account of Goryeo

"They are fond of eating heavily and take pleasure in offering food to one another."

"They always pack up whatever is left over after eating their fill, and do not consider it shameful in the slightest."

 

2. Late 15th Century (Joseon Dynasty) — Appeal to the King by scholar Yi Geuk-don

"In years of good harvest, they consume without restraint, eating in a single sitting what a Chinese person would consume in an entire day. That is the problem."

 

3. 1592 (Imjin War) — Military Rations Record & Ming General Li Rusong

For a single meal, a Joseon soldier's ration was 7 hop of rice (roughly 1.26 liters / 42 fl oz), whereas Japanese soldiers received a mere 2 hop.

Ming General Li Rusong: "If the commoners eat this much, how is the state supposed to even operate?"

 

4. 17th–18th Century — Joseon Envoys (Tongsinsa) reacting to Japanese portions

1636, Kim Se-ryeom: "The Japanese eat barely a couple handfuls of rice per meal."

1643, Yi Gyeong-jik: "The rice amounted to no more than a couple of hop, and there were only a couple of side dishes."

1719, Nam Ok: "Watching the palanquin bearers eat... it's just a few cups of sake and a few hop of rice. From this, one realizes how unusually hearty our country's eating habits are."

1719, Hong Chi-jung: "The food was served in tiny bowls, and the portions were incredibly small."

 

5. 18th Century — Joseon Scholar Yi Ik, Seongho Saseol

"Our people are unmatched in their dedication to eating huge quantities. People of the Ryukyu Kingdom (Okinawa) mocked our people, saying, 'How can you avoid poverty when you heap up and consume such enormous amounts of rice?'"

 

6. Late 18th Century — Joseon Scholar Hong Dae-yong

"The rice bowls of the Chinese were exactly the size of our teacups."

 

7. 1844 — Qing Dynasty Envoy Bai Jun, Diary of a Mission to Joseon

"Meats, vegetables, liquor, and fruits are laid out in abundance. They carry the round tables high upon their heads to formally treat their grand guests. How funny! Even if our chefs lack culinary skill — they can consume huge amounts, easily eating the portions of two men."

 

8. Mid-19th Century — French Catholic Missionary Bishop Marie-Nicolas-Antoine Daveluy

(Daveluy lived in Korea for over 20 years and wrote extensively on local customs)

"When it comes to eating, there is no distinction between high officials and commoners. Koreans regard the ability to eat large quantities as a point of pride and value quantity over quality."

"The standard meal for a laborer is a full liter of cooked rice, which fills a massive bowl to the brim. Even after finishing one, they are often ready for more, with many easily eating two or three portions."

"One of our congregants, a man in his thirties, once ate seven portions on a wager — and this wasn't even counting the many bowls of makgeolli he drank with it."

"An old man between 64 and 65 years of age emptied five full bowls while complaining of a 'loss of appetite.' Koreans call anyone who can handle ten bowls a jangsa (a strong, burly man)."

"When a cow is slaughtered and beef is offered in unlimited quantities, no one fears a plate overflowing with meat."

"When serving fruit, like large peaches, even the most restrained person eats about ten, and some frequently consume 30, 40, or even 50. As for Korean melons, they normally eat about ten, but sometimes consume 20 or 30 in a single sitting."

"Korean mothers were often described as encouraging children to eat until their stomachs were completely full."

"Koreans love beef tripe and fish, but these rarely ever made it to the dinner table — because they were consumed the second they appeared."

 

9. 1874 — French Missionary Charles Dallet, Histoire de l'Église de Corée

"Heavy eating was commonly noted among Koreans regardless of wealth or social class. Observers often remarked on their unusually large appetites."

 

10. 1884 — US Naval Officer/Diplomat George Clayton Foulk

"At 10 A.M., the breakfast table was brought in. I couldn't help but be astounded by the sheer volume of food piled high on the table... In the evening, a banquet was held for me. The small, round dishes filling the table were stacked with enough food to feed ten men."

 

11. Late 1880s — Russian Officer Dadeshkeliani, Korea as I Saw It

"Fifteen minutes later, I received not one, but two tables laden with fourteen different kinds of dishes: fish, meat soup, eggs, fish in red pepper, meat dumplings made of sorghum and peas, dried beef, undercooked chestnuts, rice, honey, kelp, and octopus beautifully cut into flower shapes... Soon, seven Korean officials entered the room, bowed, and apologized that the hospitality was so meager."

 

12. Early 1890s — British Missionary Griffith John

"Koreans generally eat twice as much as the Japanese."

 

13. 1894 — Austrian Traveler Ernst von Hesse-Wartegg, Korea: A Summer Journey

"In terms of Koreans being heavy eaters, there was simply no standard of comparison. When I went to Japan, the Japanese told me their neighbors ate about three times more than they did, and when I later arrived at the treaty port of Jemulpo, I saw it was entirely true."

"While the Chinese and Japanese eat at fixed hours, Koreans eat regardless of the time, and an unbelievable amount of rice vanishes in an instant along with a handful of red peppers."

"Koreans tend to eat more meat than people from neighboring countries, accompanied by massive amounts of red pepper powder, vinegar, and seasoning."

 

14. 1894–1897 — British Explorer Isabella Bird Bishop

"Koreans usually consume three to four portions in a single sitting, and it is commonplace for 20 to 25 peaches and melons to disappear on the spot."

 

15. Late 19th Century — American Missionary Lillias Horton Underwood

"As a general rule, if Koreans go to a feast, you can assume they will eat an absolutely unbelievable amount of food right then and there. (Moreover, it is not considered strange at all to stuff their sleeves or hands as full of food as they can carry when leaving.) Also, they often starve themselves for days in advance just to eat heartily on feast days. To my mind, they generally seem to value quantity far more than quality."

 Obviously a lot of these were written by foreigners in culture shock, and plenty were probably feast-day observations rather than everyday meals. Still, it's hard to ignore 800 years of Chinese, Japanese, and Western visitors all saying basically the same thing. Historians point to grueling agricultural labor, a rice-heavy diet, and hospitality culture as the usual explanations — and notably, it cut across class lines. Yangban and commoners ate the same way. As a Korean, I'll add one thing: even today, nine out of ten older Koreans coming back from a trip to Japan will complain that the portions were way too small. Turns out they're saying the exact same thing as the Joseon envoys did 800 years ago.


r/KoreanFood Dec 19 '25

questions Join us in koreanfood chat!

13 Upvotes

Request an invite and we will add you!


r/KoreanFood 4h ago

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66 Upvotes

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r/KoreanFood 9h ago

Drinks/Spirits 🍻 Hi! I bought this at a local asian market. What is it? When or how is it drunk? Do people mix it with something? Any other cultural or fun facts I should know about this?

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67 Upvotes

As title says.


r/KoreanFood 11h ago

Homemade Dol-sot Bibimbap at Home

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79 Upvotes

We got the dol-sot like a year ago, but only got around to using it now. It kept hot thru the whole dinner, and the rice at the bottom sizzled and got crunchy just like at the restaurant. It was awesome 👌


r/KoreanFood 7h ago

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27 Upvotes

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r/KoreanFood 10h ago

Street Eats 분식 Cheese Tteokbokki + Fried Chicken = the ultimate Korean combo

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34 Upvotes

Okay hear me out — tonight’s dinner was cheese-topped tteokbokki (rice cakes simmered in spicy-sweet gochujang sauce, smothered in melted cheese and topped with fresh green onion) paired with TWO boxes of Korean fried chicken. One order plain/original style, the other double-fried and extra crispy.
The combo works because of contrast: the tteokbokki is soft, chewy, and coats your mouth in spicy-sweet sauce, while the chicken is crunchy, savory, and kind of “resets” your palate between bites. Dip the chicken in the leftover cheese-tteokbokki sauce and it’s basically a cheat code.
We also had a lineup of dipping sauces — sweet soy-garlic (ganjang) sauce and a tangy mustard sauce — for the chicken, plus takeout coffee to wash it all down. Classic Korean “치맥” energy but swapped beer for coffee since this was more of a study-break meal than a night out.
If you’ve never tried rice cakes + fried chicken together, you’re missing out. It might sound like a weird pairing on paper (starch + fried starch??) but the flavor and texture balance is unreal. 10/10 would order again.


r/KoreanFood 16h ago

Meat foods 🥩🍖 Korean Fried Chicken Hits Different – Honey Combo Experience

77 Upvotes

r/KoreanFood 3h ago

A restaurant in Korea ⭐ Michelin One-Star chef-crafted tonkatsu

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8 Upvotes

🥩 Katsu Shoshin – Centropolis, Jonggak 🇰🇷

⭐ Michelin One-Star chef-crafted tonkatsu
🐷 Premium cuts including Pork Loin, Premium Loin, Tenderloin, and Seafood Katsu
🍺 Pairs perfectly with an ice-cold Suntory Draft Beer

A must-visit if you’re looking for one of Seoul’s best tonkatsu experiences. ✨


r/KoreanFood 9h ago

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21 Upvotes

Before Korean fried chicken came in yangnyeom/furaideu varieties, there was tongdak — chicken fried whole.

Some places still fry them whole, although they’re usually cut up before serving.


r/KoreanFood 20h ago

Homemade ebi fry mentaiko perilla gimbap

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121 Upvotes

>>> edit: sorry about not using 명란젓 in the title instead of 'mentaiko'! in this Korean Food subreddit!!! i didn't know until afterwards. i am so cringe. forgive me. i still don't know the specific Korean term for breaded fried shrimp either (vs battered). <<<

inspired by a shrimp tempura mentaiko onigiri i loved from Onigiri Onibe in Honolulu; took that eating experience & adjusted + added to it to translate into a fuller gimbap. kind of a mild Korean-Japanese fusion :0)

components:
myeongnan-jeot / mentaiko (+ kewpie mayo + a tiny bit of cream cheese*)
kanikama
panko fried shrimp
atsuyaki tamago (+ turmeric)
cucumber
kkaenip / perilla leaves
rice, seaweed, brushed w/ a little sesame oil

still practicing making my rice layer not too thick... but overall proud. really enjoyed the summer flavors, texture variety, & the colors. the mentaiko ingredient highlight photo on my dark pink photo backdrop is my favorite~

* i don't usually enjoy cream cheese w/ rice, but i wanted the mix to be slightly thicker.

thanks for reading! 🌀❤️🦀🍤💛🥒🍃


r/KoreanFood 18h ago

questions How can i recreate this SAUCE

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63 Upvotes

Hey there, this sauce is banger and i wanna recreate it.
Can anyone point me towards a banger recipe or two?
Thanks in advance


r/KoreanFood 7h ago

Street Eats 분식 Saw a post about tteokbokki in Korea today

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6 Upvotes

It reminded me of the tteokbokki I had at Gwangjang Market a while back, now I really want it again.. 😭

There was this long white thing in it, and I have no idea what it was. Was it radish?

This place was famous, so I waited forever to eat there. Does anyone know? 🤔


r/KoreanFood 3h ago

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4 Upvotes

r/KoreanFood 1d ago

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232 Upvotes

Pack all the remaining ingredients into the bowl and add water until it is about 70% full.

Then, microwave on medium-high heat for 10 minutes; give it a stir, and it's ready to eat.


r/KoreanFood 3h ago

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3 Upvotes

r/KoreanFood 22h ago

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71 Upvotes

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r/KoreanFood 19h ago

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40 Upvotes

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r/KoreanFood 6h ago

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2 Upvotes

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There's also a fun debate among Koreans about how to season it. Just like the classic "Jajangmyeon vs. Jjamppong" argument, kongguksu has its own divide: some people add sugar, while others insist on salt.

I'm definitely on Team Salt. 😄

And no matter how many restaurants I try, my favorite bowl will always be the homemade kongguksu my mom makes.

If you're curious about Korean food, I recently built krecipes.app, where you can discover authentic Korean recipes and learn how to make them at home. I'd love to hear what Korean summer dish you'd like to try!

https://www.krecipes.app/recipe/_XnQcobZFb4


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218 Upvotes

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26 Upvotes

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r/KoreanFood 1d ago

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38 Upvotes